During the winter months it is more important than ever to ensure your heating system works at its peak. Whether you have traditional cast-iron radiators, or modern designer radiators, there will be occasions when they become compromised by air bubbles. Try a simple test – when your radiators are switched on, feel them at the top and the bottom. If they are only warm at the bottom, then the time has come to bleed your radiators and remove the air trapped in them, which is preventing the hot water from circulating properly.
Here are the five simple steps to bleeding a radiator…
Switch off your central heating. You don’t want more air entering your radiators while you are bleeding them, so turn off your boiler before proceeding any further.
Locate the bleed valve. This is usually found on the side of your radiator, and has a small red handle. Ensure there’s a small bowl or wadded cloth under this valve, as water is likely to leak out when the bleeding begins. This water is likely to be pretty hot, by the way, so do take care!
Locate the radiator key. Most domestic radiators have a bleed key supplied as standard, for unlocking and turning the valve. If yours is missing or mislaid, DIY stores stock replacement keys for most radiator models.
Get bleeding! Insert your radiator key into the bleed valve and give it a quarter to half turn, anticlockwise. You will hear a hiss as the trapped air escapes and eventually water will begin to dribble out, marking the point that the air has been forced out. At this point you can re-tighten the bleed valve and mop up any water that has escaped the bowl or the wadding.
Move on to the next radiator. Methodically apply the same method to any other radiators that are suffering from the same problem, and when you are finished, restart the central heating. Be sure to check the radiators after a short while to ensure that they are once again conducting heat over their full surface.
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